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Books arriving damaged, accounts suddenly being shut down, and complaints about customer service are only a few of many issues shoppers have with Amazon. So why are these once loyal customers, who have purchased literally thousands of dollars of merchandise over the years leaving (and in many cases getting kicked off,) the reasons may surprise you.

Let's begin with the popular form letter that was sent by Amazon.com that has many former consumers in an uproar it reads:

“Hello from Amazon.com.

A careful review of your account indicates you've experienced an extraordinary number of incidents with your orders and corresponding shipments.

In the normal course of business, the occasional problem is inevitable. The rate at which such problems have occurred on your account is extraordinary, however, and cannot continue. Effective immediately, your Amazon.com account is closed and you are no longer able to shop in our store. I am very sorry for any disappointment this may cause.

Please know that any accounts related to yours have also been closed. If you were to open a new account, the same will result and it will also be closed. In the event that you attempt to do so, we will not accept the return of any additional orders, nor will we issue further refunds in connection with any future orders. We appreciate your cooperation in refraining from using our web site.

If you require additional assistance, or have any concerns, feel free to contact us directly at mailto:account-appeals@amazon.com.

Please do not contact regular Customer Service again, as they will no longer be able to assist you.

Regards,

Account Specialist
Amazon.com”

Now some shoppers receiving this letter may assume that this is some kind of scam, but it is not. It is legitimate, according to Amazon.com. The letter is direct and states why a consumer would unfortunately have to experience a closed account. However, some shoppers at various forums say Amazon is cracking down on scammers, people who return items for just about any reason just so that they can obtain a refund. Others have complained that they were not given any specific reason as to what they did wrong in the first place. Some are considering on filing a class action lawsuit, because they feel the matter is inappropriately handled by Amazon.

The safe way to find out whether the letter is legitimate, a banned member should not access the Amazon website via his or her email; instead visit the site directly. A customer will quickly notice that they will be unable to do any of the following: track packages, print receipts and invoices, download books, access saved items in the shopping cart and current subscriptions, and update credit card information. Also, there are no refunds offered by Amazon for anything including gift cards, Amazon Prime membership and Amazon Visa rewards. This is why some banned customers want to fight Amazon in court. They feel they should be refunded before their account is closed. When shoppers are banned, they should immediately contact Amazon to find out the details.

According to a former Amazon shopper who calls his or herself “Socalaz68,” he or she states at one consumer complaint forum, ” I tried to return a damaged item to them (Amazon) due to their poor packaging which isn't the first time already. Now they decided to close my account. I sent them an email to find out what's going (on) but no reply. I called their customer service and they refused to assist me. I can't return my item to them and it costs me $250, they… simply don't want to deal with me and blacklisted me. Amazon.com is a rip-off and HORRIBLE.”

Another former Amazon shopper shared her story anonymously at another complaint forum, “…The quality of Amazon packing has progressively deteriorated over the years. In the early 2000 (i.e. from 1999 to 2003), Amazon shrink wraps my books for delivery. In the last few years, the packing has decline to such an extent that, several books were simply thrown into a box – sometimes with nothing and sometimes with a plastic bubble on top – and the books were shipped all the way to Asia with such flimsy packing. Imagine 10 books in one box (the orders of say 30 books were often split into a few shipments). What do you expect to see when the books arrive?…” She mentioned that her account was also closed due to “The alleged 'extraordinary number of incidents.' To read more about this shoppers story, visit http://www.epinions.com/content_442900319876.

So where are shoppers going when Amazon fails them? Barnes & Nobles and eBay according to some forums.